43 Malaysians freed from phone scam syndicate in Peru
The 26 women and 17 men arrived in Peru on Sep 29 and were fortunate to have been freed on Saturday after Peruvian police raided a house in La Molina in the capital Lima, he said.
Three of the Malaysians are just 18 and the oldest in the group is 36, he said.
The Foreign Ministry has said the 43 victims were in good condition and would be repatriated to Malaysia once the investigation in Lima was completed.
Razarudin said the 43 victims left Malaysia legally and that police were still investigating details of how they were recruited, and how they ended up in Peru.
The Utusan Malaysia newspaper reported that two of the women escaped from the house in an affluent neighbourhood and were taken to the police after seeking help from a neighbour.
The daily, citing local reports in Peru, said the initial investigation had identified the syndicate involved as The Red Dragon of Taiwan and that mobile phones, debit cards and cash had been seized.
Malaysian police were unable to confirm those details.
Source: CNA